Portable handsink and method for use

ABSTRACT

Exemplary apparatuses and methods for providing clean hot and/or cold water on demand from a portable structure include water storage tanks that store the clean water, and a sink assembly for dispensing the clean water to a user. A pumping system pumps water from the water storage tanks to the sink assembly, and a filtration system that filters water flowing from the sink assembly to the water storage tanks.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims a priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. §120 of U.S.Provisional Application No. 60/787,545 filed on Mar. 31, 2006, theentire contents of which have been incorporated in its entirety byreference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

A portable handsink and a method for using the portable handsink aredisclosed.

2. Background Information

People are always “on the go” and spend much of their time in vehicles,at the workplace, or on outings where immediate access to water isneeded but unavailable.

One's person can become dirty from a variety of sources or for variousreasons, such as food and drink spills, handling money, servicing avehicle, fueling a vehicle, shaking hands, handling doorknobs in publicfacilities, changing a baby's diaper, and caring for the sick. Many ofthese situations often occur in and around a car, or in an area whereaccess to clean water for hand washing or cleaning is unavailable,inconvenient, and/or difficult to obtain. Furthermore, one's activities,whether business or personal related, may require careful attention,thus prohibiting him from leaving the area.

SUMMARY

An exemplary handsink that dispenses temperature controlled water isdisclosed. The handsink comprises means for storing water and means fordispensing water. The handsink also comprises means for circulatingwater between the storing means and dispensing means, and means forsensing a level of stored water. In the exemplary embodiment thehandsink comprises means for controlling the direction of watercirculation based on the sensed water level.

Exemplary embodiments are directed to a method for controlling adirection of water flow in a portable handsink, where the handsinkincludes water storage tanks, a pumping system, a plumbing system, and asink assembly. The method comprises activating the pumping system topump water out of the water storage tanks to the sink assembly andmonitoring a water level in the water storage tanks. The method alsocomprises controlling a flow of water from the sink assembly to thewater storage tanks by adjusting a position of a plurality of valves inthe plumbing system.

Exemplary embodiments are also directed to a portable handsinkcomprising water storage tanks, a sink assembly, and a pumping systemthat pumps water from the water storage tanks to the sink assembly. Theportable handsink also comprises a filtration system that filters waterflowing from the sink assembly to the water storage tanks.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following, an exemplary embodiment will be described in greaterdetail in reference to the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates an overview of a portable handsink system inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 2 illustrates a housing assembly in accordance with an exemplaryembodiment;

FIG. 3 illustrates internal components of the portable handsink inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 4A illustrates a hot water storage tank in accordance with anexemplary embodiment;

FIG. 4B illustrates a cold water storage tank in accordance with anexemplary embodiment;

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of an enclosure in accordance withan exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 6 illustrates an enclosure base in accordance with an exemplaryembodiment;

FIG. 7 illustrates a water diversion system in accordance with anexemplary embodiment;

FIG. 8 illustrates a first state of the water diversion system inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 9 illustrates a second state of the water diversion system inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 10 illustrates a third state of the water diversion system inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 11 illustrates a fourth state of the water diversion system inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 12 illustrates a fifth state of the water diversion system inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment; and

FIG. 13 illustrates a sixth state of the water diversion system inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 14 illustrates a protective cover in accordance with an exemplaryembodiment;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment directed to ahandsink for providing clean, hot and/or cold water on demand from aportable structure. The handsink 2 includes means, such as a waterstorage system 4, for storing water to be used for washing, and means,such as a pumping system 6, for pumping water from the water storagesystem 4. The handsink 2 also includes means, such as a plumbing system8, for routing water to/from the water storage system 4, and means, suchas a filtration system 10, for filtering water that is returning to thewater storage system 4. The handsink 2 includes means, such as a controlsystem 12, for controlling the direction of water flow through theplumbing system 8, and for monitoring the status of various systems ofthe handsink 2. The handsink 2 also includes means, such as a powersystem 14, for supplying power to the various systems of the handsink 2.

The handsink 2 includes means, such as a housing assembly 16, forhousing the various systems. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of anexemplary housing assembly 16. As shown in FIG. 2, the housing assembly16 includes an enclosure 18, a base 20, and a sink assembly 22. Theenclosure 18 can be of any of a number of various polygonal shapes, suchas cylindrical, square, or any other shape as desired. One of ordinaryskill will appreciate that the enclosure 18 can be of a sufficientdiameter or internal area, such as 16 inches or any other size asdesired, to completely surround and enclose the internal circuitry ofthe handsink 2. The enclosure 18 can be formed of acrylonitrilebutadiene styrene (ABS), or other suitable high strength and durablematerial as desired. The enclosure 18 includes an enclosure cover 24that is removably attached to the enclosure 18. When removed, theenclosure cover 24 exposes and provides access to the internal circuitryof the handsink 2.

The base 20 is securely attached to a bottom-end of the enclosure 18.The shape and size of the base 20 is contingent on the shape, diameter,and/or width of the enclosure 18. One of ordinary skill will appreciatethat the base 20 can be of a suitable surface area, such as 450 squareinches or any other size as desired to prevent the handsink 2 fromtipping over. The base 20 will be discussed in greater detail below.

The sink assembly 22 is securely attached to a top portion of theenclosure 18. The sink assembly includes means, such as a faucet 26, foroutputting water pumped from the water storage system 4 through theplumbing system 8. The faucet 26 can be telescopic and retractable,which enables the faucet 26 to be positioned (e.g., extended) asdesired. In a fully retracted position, the faucet 26 has a length ofapproximately 5 inches or other suitable length as desired. Fullyextended, the faucet 26 can have a length of 8 inches, or other suitablelength as desired. One of ordinary skill will readily appreciate thatthe faucet 26 can be adjusted to any length within the range of thefully retracted and full extended positions. The faucet 26 can berotated at an angle of 180° about its base. One of ordinary skill willreadily appreciate that the housing assembly 16 can be of variousheights and widths as desired. For example, the height and width of thehousing assembly 16 can be sufficient to enclose the internal componentsof the handsink 2, and suitable for storage and/or use by persons ofvarious ages and sizes as desired.

The sink assembly 22 also includes means, such as a receptacle 28, forreceiving water that is output from the faucet 26. The receptacle 28 canbe formed of ABS or other high-strength durable material as desired. Thereceptacle 28 can be of a concave shape and have a drain 30 located atits deepest-most point. One of ordinary skill will readily appreciatethat the receptacle 28 can have a depth such as 6 inches, or othersuitable depth so that water output from the faucet 26 can be channeledto the drain 30. The drain 30 is connected to the plumbing system 8 sothat water can be returned to the water storage system 4.

The sink assembly 22 also includes means, such as a hot water valve 32and cold water valve 34, for separately activating the pumping system 8to pump water from the water storage system 4, through the plumbingsystem 8, and out through the faucet 26. The water valves 32 and 34 canbe made of ABS or other high-strength durable material as desired. Thewater valves 32 and 34 can also be color coded, such as red and bluecolor designations, respectively, for indicating the water temperature.The water valves 32 and 34 can also have any of various alpha-numericalcharacters or Braille for further water temperature indication.

The sink assembly 22 can include means, such as a soap dish and/orbottle holder 36, for solid and/or liquid soap storage as desired, andmeans such as light-emitting diode (LED) indicators 38A-38D and adigital or liquid crystal display (LCD) display 40, for providing avisual output of various generating conditions. For example, the LEDindicators can include a power indicator 38A, a water change indicator38B, a filter change indicator 38C, and a failure indicator 38D, or anyother system indication as desired. The digital or LCD display 40 can beflush mounted with a top surface of the sink assembly 22, and can have atransparent, shatter-proof cover. The display 40 is connected to thecontrol system 12, and can display any of a number of operational orstatus codes that indicate the operational status of the handsink 2and/or any of its various systems and components. One of ordinary skillin the art will appreciate that each of the water valves 32 and 34, LEDs38A-38D, and display 40 can be mounted over openings in a top surface ofthe sink assembly 22 so that suitable connection to the plumbing system8 or control system 12 can be achieved where applicable.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the internal componentsand circuitry of the handsink 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the water storagesystem 4 includes a hot water storage tank 42 and a cold water storagetank 44, for storing hot and cold water, respectively.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate exemplary embodiments of a hot water storagetank 42 and a cold water storage tank 44, respectively. Each storagetank 42 and 44 can be substantially cylindrically shaped, or any othershape as desired, and include an outer surface 46 and an inner surface48. Both the outer surface 46 and the inner surface 48 can be formed ofmetallic material. An insulating material can be placed between theouter surface 46 and inner surface 48 to restrict the passage of heatfrom the inner surface 48 to the outer surface 46. As a result, the hotwater storage tank 42 can maintain a “hot” temperature and the coldwater storage tank 44 can maintain a “cold” temperature. Each of thestorage tanks 42 and 44 also include means, such as a sloped bottom 50so that the force of gravity can draw or pull stored water to the bottomof each tank. Storage tanks 42 and 44 can be configured to includemeans, such as float assemblies 52 and 54, for detecting the fill levelsof each tank 42 and 44, respectively. The storage tanks 42 and 44 canalso include means, such as water purity sensors 56 and 58, fordetecting the levels of impurities present in the stored water. Each ofthe storage tanks 42 and 44 can also be configured to include waterdrains 60 and 62, for draining water out of the storage tanks 42 and 44,respectively. The hot water storage tank 42 and the cold water storagetank 44 also include pumping pipes 59 and 61, respectively, forconnecting to the pumping system 6.

The hot water storage tank 42 also includes means, such as a heatingelement 64, for heating the water to a desired temperature. The heatingelement 64 can be thermostatically-controlled so that the desired watertemperature can be maintained.

Returning to FIG. 3, the pumping system 6 includes a hot water pumpassembly 66 and a cold water pump assembly 68.

The pump assemblies 66 and 68 provide a means for conveying water fromthe storage tanks 42 and 44, respectively, to the plumbing system 8.Pump assemblies 66 and 68 can be configured such that they arelightweight, compact, and have internal parts that arecorrosion-resistant. Additionally, in an exemplary embodiment, each pumpassembly 66 and 68 is configured to have an energy-efficient,continuous-duty electric motor that is rated to produce a gallon perminute (GPM) capacity such as 2 GPM, for example, that is sufficient forconstant use and thorough washing practices.

The plumbing system 8 includes a hot water supply pipe 70, a cold watersupply pipe 72, a mixing chamber 74, a drainpipe 76, a hot water returnpipe 78, a cold water return pipe 80, and a water diversion pipe 82.

The water supply pipes 70 and 72 are connected to the pump assemblies 66and 68, respectively. The water supply pipes 70 and 72 can be configuredto route water away from respective water storage tanks 42 and 44 in adirection towards the faucet 26.

The mixing chamber 74 is connected to receive water from the watersupply pipes 70 and 72. As shown in FIG. 3, the water supply pipes 70and 76 are connected to opposite ends of the mixing chamber 74. Themixing chamber 74 mixes hot and cold water flowing from storage tanks 42and 44, respectively, prior to the water flowing out of the faucet 26.The drainpipe 76 is connected to the drain 30 of the sink assembly 22.The drainpipe 76 receives water flowing from the receptacle 28 and isconnected to output the received water to the filtration system 10.Stated differently, the drainpipe 76 allows water to flow in a directionfrom the sink assembly 22 to the water storage tanks 42 and 44.

The water return pipes 78 and 80 are connected to receive water from thefiltration system 10 and allow the water to flow into the water storagetanks 42 and 44, respectively. One of ordinary skill will appreciatethat the hot water return pipe 80 is connected to the hot water storagetank 42, and the cold water return pipe 80 is connected to the coldwater storage tank 44. The cold water return pipe 80 can be athermal-conductive pipe that includes longitudinal fins (not shown)extending along its length. Each fin can have a large surface area thatradiates heat away from the water flowing through the return pipe 78.

The water diversion pipe 82 is connected between the hot water returnpipe 78 and the cold water return pipe 80, for diverting water fromeither of the water return pipes 78 and 80 to the other water returnpipe 80 and 78. Thus, the water diversion pipe 82 diverts water intoeither the hot water storage tank 42 or cold water storage tank 44, asneeded.

The plumbing system 8 also includes a hot water outlet drainpipe 86, acold water outlet drainpipe 88, a hot water inlet pipe 90, and a coldwater inlet pipe 92.

The water outlet drainpipes 86 and 88 are connected to the bottoms ofthe water storage tanks 42 and 44, respectively, and enable the drainingwater to flow from the associated storage tank as needed. Each of theoutlet drainpipes 86 and 88 include outlet valves 94 and 96,respectively, for enabling water to flow from storage tanks 42 and 44,respectively. The outlet drainpipes 86 and 88 can be of varying lengthsand configurations suitable for draining water from the respectivestorage tank. For example, the outlet drainpipes 86 and 88 can have a90° bend and extend into a rear side of the enclosure base 20. (See FIG.6). Each of the outlet drainpipes 86 and 88 can include outlet plugs(not shown) for closing the outlet drainpipes 86 and 88 when the outletvalves 94 and 96 are closed.

The inlet pipes 90 and 92 have one end connected to the water storagesystem 4 and the other end connected to a rear side of the enclosure 18.For example, the hot water inlet pipe 90 is connected to the hot waterstorage tank 42 and the cold water inlet pipe 92 is connected to thecold water storage tank 44. One of ordinary skill will appreciate thatunless described otherwise the piping of the plumbing system 8 is madeof a material that provides high strength and durability, such aspolyvinyl chloride (PVC) or other suitable material as desired.

The filtration system 10 includes a hot water filtration system 98 and acold water filtration system 100. The hot and cold filtration systems 98and 100 include a hot water prefilter 102 and a cold water prefilter104, respectively. The prefilter assemblies 102 and 104 are provided forfiltering particulate matter and other contaminants from the water asthe water flows from the drainpipe 76 to the storage tanks 42 and 44.Each prefilter assembly 102 and 104 can be configured to filter thewater supply without significant constriction. The prefilter assemblies102 and 104 can be formed of materials such as paper or any othermaterial that can be washable, reusable, is lightweight, and compact.Moreover, each prefilter assembly 102 and 104 can be formed of amaterial having a capability to filter solids and impurities from thewater supply for an extended period (e.g., three to six months,depending on frequency of use) before being replaced.

The hot and cold filtration systems 98 and 100 also include a hot watermedia filter 106 and a cold water media filter 108, for furtherfiltering the water that has passed through the prefilter assemblies 102and 104, respectively. Each media filter assembly 106 and 108 can beformed of any material, such as charcoal, or any other suitable materialas desired, that provides a large filtration surface area for separatingand holding impurities, such as soap, from the water supply. Moreover,the media filter assemblies 106 and 108 can also be formed of a materialthat is lightweight and compact, and can purge solids and impuritiesfrom the water supply for an extended period of time (e.g., at leastthree to six months) before needing replacement. The media filters 106and 108 are connected to output the filtered to return pipes 78 and 80,respectively.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary perspective of a rear side of the enclosure 18.As shown in FIG. 5, the enclosure 18 includes a carry handle 110 that issecurely mounted to the rear surface. The enclosure 18 also includes atubeaxial fan 112 that draws heat from the cold water return pipe 80 andexhausts the heat outside of the enclosure 18. The enclosure 18 alsoincludes a hot water tank inlet 114 and a cold water tank inlet 116 forfilling the hot water storage tank 42 and the cold water storage tank44, respectively. One of ordinary skill will appreciate that the watertank inlets 114 and 116 are formed by the exposed end of thecorresponding water inlet pipes 90 and 92, respectively. Moreover, waterinlet/outlet plugs are removably inserted into the water tank inlets 114and 116 when the tanks are not being refilled.

The enclosure 18 also includes a hot water tank gauge 118 and a coldwater tank gauge 120 that are connected to the water float assemblies 52and 54, respectively. The tank gauges 118 and 120 display a real-timewater level in each of the respective water storage tanks 42 and 44based on a signal received from the water float assemblies 52 and 54,respectively. The tank gauges 118 and 120 can be implemented in any ofan analog or digital device as desired. The enclosure 18 includes apower cord 122 and power cord holder 124. The power cord 122 isconnected to a 110 volt AC power source and supplies this voltage andcurrent to the power system 14. The power cord holder 124 is provided asa means for storing the power cord on the enclosure 18. The enclosure 18also includes a power jack 126, for connecting a 12 volt DC power sourceto the power system 14.

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary perspective of the enclosure base 20. Asshown in FIG. 6, the enclosure base 20 includes a main recessed area 128and two secondary recessed areas 130 and 132. The main recessed area 128is provided for receiving and supporting the enclosure 18. The secondaryrecessed areas 130 and 132 are provided for receiving and supporting thehot water storage tank 42 and the cold water storage tank 44,respectively. The enclosure base 20 also includes outlet drainpipes 86and 88 for draining water from the water storage tanks 42 and 44,respectively. As further illustrated in FIG. 6, the enclosure baseincludes a moisture sensor recessed area 134 for receiving a moisturesensor 136 that is mounted on a bottom surface of the enclosure 18. Theenclosure base 20 also includes water outlet valves 94 and 96 forregulating the flow of water that is drained from the water storagetanks 42 and 44, respectively.

Revisiting FIG. 3, the control system 12 includes a controller 138 forproviding power to various components such as the pumping system 6, theheating element 64 of the hot water storage tank 42, sensor valvesSV1-SV6, and the tubeaxial fan 112. The power level supplied to thepumping system can be dependent on the position the hot and/or coldwater valves 32 and 34 of the sink assembly 22.

The control system 12 can be implemented as a printed circuit board(PCB), programmable logic device, a programmable controller, or anyother suitable processing device as desired. The control system can beconnected to the power system 14 and distribute power to the varioussystems and electrical components as needed. The control system 12 canalso be configured to provide data management services for the hand sink2.

To distribute power and data to various components of the handsink 2 thecontroller 138 can be connected to a wiring harness or other suitaledevice for facilitating communication. The wiring harness can be formedof waterproof material and can be anchored to various points within thehandsink 2 through means, such as cable ties and cable tie mountingbases, or other suitable mounting devices. The controller 138intermittently provides power to the heating element 64 based on thetemperature setting provided by user or operator. Sensor valves SV1-SV6are discussed in detail below. The controller 138 supplies power to eachvalve SV1-SV6 as needed to control the flow of water through theplumbing system 8.

The tube axial fan 112 provides means for drawing heat from waterflowing through the cold water return pipe 80. The tubeaxial fan 112 ismounted in the enclosure 18, delivers high cubic feet per minute (CFM)capacity of air to draw heat from the cold water return pipe 80 andexhaust the heat from the enclosure 18. As a result, water returning tothe cold water storage tank 44 via the cold water return pipe 80 is at arelatively cool temperature.

The controller 138 also distributes power to the pumping system 6 basedon the position of the hot and cold water valves 32 and 34 of the sinkassembly 22. For example, the water valves 32 and 34 can rotate within arange of 45°. The “low” end of the motion range corresponds to “low”power signal being distributed by the controller 138 to thecorresponding pump. The “high” end of the motion range corresponds to a“high” power signal being distributed by the controller to thecorresponding pump. One of ordinary skill will appreciate that the hotand cold water valves 32 and 34 can be activated independently of eachother or simultaneously to obtain the desired water temperature.

The controller 138 can also be configured to supply power to LEDindicators 38A-38D which are mounted on the sink assembly 22. Forexample, the controller 138 can be configured to generate a powerindication signal when either of the water valves 32 and 34 are open andwater is flowing through the plumbing system 8. In another example, thecontroller 138 can be configured to generate a water change signal forilluminating the water change indicator 38B when the hot water puritysensor 56 or the cold water purity sensor 58 determines that the storedwater does not meet a predetermined purity standard. The controller 138can be configured to generate a filter change signal at specifiedintervals, such as three months or after a specified number of hand washcycles have been tallied, so that the filtration system 10 can beserviced. The controller 138 can also be configured to generate afailure signal to drive the failure indicator, when the controller 138detects a problem or failure in any of the electronic components of thehandsink 2. When the controller 138 receives failure signals from any ofthe electronic components of the handsink 2, the controller 138 cangenerate a failure control signal that corresponds to an associatedfailure mode. The display 40 receives the failure control signal fromthe controller 138 and can be configured to display the correspondingfailure mode to the operator or user.

The controller 138 can also be configured to perform data managementservices. For example, the controller 138 can be configured to receive asignal from the hot and cold tank float assemblies 52 and 54, formonitoring the water levels in the water storage tanks 42 and 44,respectively. In this manner, the controller 138 can track the maximumdetected fill level of each tank. As described herein, the maximumdetected fill level indicates the maximum amount of water each storagetank 42 and 44 receives at the next refill interval. The controller 138can also be configured to receive signals from the water purity sensors56 and 58 for monitoring the purity level of water stored in the waterstorage system 4. When the water purity data is not within a predefinedrange or does not meet a predetermined threshold, the controller 138activates the water change indicator 38B to notify the user to changethe water in the water storage system 4.

The controller 138 is also configured to receive data from the moisturesensor 136. The controller 138 can activate the failure indicator 38Dand/or the display 40 if moisture or a leak is detected. The controller138 can also be connected to receive data from an anti-tip sensor 140.The anti-tip signal can be securely mounted to an inner surface of theenclosure 18 and can be implemented as an accelerometer or othersuitable device for providing angular acceleration readings of thehandsink 2. If the angular acceleration readings meet or exceed athreshold valve, such as 1 g (gravitational-force), for example, thecontroller 138 closes all sensor valves SV1-SV6 to prevent the back flowof water from the water storage system 4 to the drainpipe 76.

The power system 14 includes a power supply 142, for supplying power tothe handsink 2. The power supply 142 is connected to receive 110 volt ACpower through a power cord. The power supply 142 steps down the 110 voltAC to a level safe enough to distribute to the controller 138. The powersystem 14 also includes a rechargeable battery 144 for providing powerto the handsink 2 when the handsink 2 is not connected to a main powersource through power supply 142. The rechargeable battery 144 caninclude lithium ion, nickel-cadmium, or other suitable conductivematerial that can be charged and recharged many times. The power system14 further includes a wiring harness 146 for directing signals from thecontroller 138 to the various components within the handsink 2.

FIG. 7 is an exemplary water diversion system 5 of the handsink 2. Thewater diversion system 5 can be implemented through the plumbing system8, control system 12, and sensor valves SV1-SV6.

Sensor valves SV1, SV3, and SV5 are bidirectional valves that allowwater to flow in two directions. Sensor valve SV1 can be placed in thedrain pipe connection that leads to the cold water tank prefilter 104.Sensor valve SV3 can be located at a portion of the plumbing system 8between the hot water tank media filter 106 and the hot water storagetank 42, and on an end of the water diversion pipe 82. Sensor valve SV5can be located on an opposite end of the water diversion pipe 82 fromsensor valve SV3, and is between the cold water tank media filter 108and the cold water storage tank 44. Sensor valves SV1, SV3 and SV5 canbe configured to allow water to flow in only one direction, in bothdirections, or not at all, depending upon the operating state of thehandsink system.

Sensor valves SV2, SV4, and SV6 are unidirectional valves that allowwater to flow in only one direction regardless of the operatingcondition of the handsink system. In some operating states, sensorvalves SV2, SV4, and SV6 can prohibit the flow of water. As shown in thefigure, sensor valve SV2 is located on a portion of the drain pipe 76that is downstream from sensor valve SV1 and leads into the hot watertank prefilter 102. Sensor valve SV4 is located on an end of the hotwater return pipe 78 that is connected to the hot water storage tank 42.Sensor valve SV6 is located on an end of the cold water return pipe 80that is connected to the cold water storage tank 44.

The water diversion system 5 is activated when the hot and cold watervalves 32 and 34 are “activated” (e.g., “opened”). When the hot and/orcold water valves 32 and 34 are open, the corresponding water pumpassemblies 66 and 68 is activated by controller 138 to pump water fromeither or both of the hot and cold water storage tanks 42 and 44, asneeded. Once the pump assemblies 66 and 68 are activated, the hot andcold water float assemblies 52 and 54 move from their maximum detectedfill levels. The maximum detected fill level of each storage tank is themaximum amount of water the respective storage tank receives at the nextrefill interval or prior to each washing cycle. The controller 138 isconnected to receive data from the float assemblies 52 and 54 thatindicates that maximum detected fill level. The controller 138 storesthe maximum detected fill level for each of the hot and cold waterstorage tanks 42 and 44 and updates these values each time the handsink2 is powered up. Based on the amount of change in the maximum detectedfield level for a respective storage tank, the controller 138 sends asignal to adjust (i.e., open or close) the appropriate sensor valve inthe water diversion system 5.

The water diversion system 5 can operate in one of six states. Theconditions that define each state are defined in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Condition Operating State Hot water valve Cold water valve 1OPEN CLOSED 2 CLOSED OPEN 3 OPEN OPEN 4 OPEN/CLOSED at t₁ OPEN/CLOSED att₂ 5 OPEN/CLOSED at t₂ OPEN/CLOSED at t₁ 6 OPEN/CLOSED at t₁ OPEN/CLOSEDat t₁

FIG. 8 illustrates operating state 1 of the water diversion system 5. Inoperating state 1, the hot water valve 32 is in the open and the coldwater valve 34 is closed. The controller 138 receives water level datafrom the hot and cold water float assemblies 52 and 54 with respect tothe hot and cold water storage tanks 42 and 44, respectively. Becauseonly the hot water valve 32 is open, the controller 138 sends controlsignals to the sensor valves such that sensor valve SV1 is adjusted toprohibit water flow to the cold water filtration system 100, and allowwater to flow to the sensor valve SV2. Sensor valve SV2 permits water toflow into the hot water filtration system 98. Sensor valve SV3 isadjusted to permit water flow to the hot water storage tank 42 andprohibit water flow through the water diversion pipe 82. Sensor valveSV4 is adjusted to permit water flow to the hot water storage tank 42.Sensor valves SV5 and SV6 are closed.

FIG. 9 illustrates operating state 2 of the water diversion system 5. Instate 2, the hot water valve 32 is closed and the cold water valve 34 isopen. Based on the water level readings received from the hot and coldfloat assemblies 52 and 54 with respect to the hot and cold storagetanks 42 and 44, respectively, the controller 138 generates controlsignals such that sensor valve SV1 permits water flow to the cold waterfiltration system 100, and prohibits water flow to sensor valve SV2.Sensor valve SV5 is adjusted to permit water flow to the cold waterstorage tank 44 and prohibit water flow to the water diversion pipe 82.Sensor valve SV6 is adjusted to permit water flow to the cold waterstorage tank 44. Sensor valves SV2, SV3, and SV4 are closed.

FIG. 10 illustrates operating state 3 of the water diversion system 5.In operating state 3, both the hot water valve 32 and cold water valve34 are open. The controller 138 receives water level data from the hotand cold water float assemblies 52 and 54 with respect to the waterlevels in the hot and cold water storage tanks 42 and 44, respectively.Based on the received water level data, the processor generates controlsignals to adjust the sensor valves SV1-SV6. For example, sensor valveSV1 is adjusted to permit water flow to the cold water filtration system100, and permit water flow to sensor valve SV2. Sensor valve SV2 isadjusted to permit water flow to hot water filtration system 98. Sensorvalve SV3 is adjusted to permit water flow to the hot water storage tank42 and prohibit water flow to the water diversion pipe 82. Sensor valveSV4 is adjusted to permit water flow to the hot water storage tank 42.Sensor valve SV5 is adjusted to permit water flow to the cold waterstorage tank 44 and prohibit water flow to the water diversion pipe 82.Sensor valve SV6 is adjusted to permit water flow to the cold water tank44.

FIG. 11 illustrates an operating state 4 of the water diversion system5. In operating state 4, both the hot water valve 32 and the cold watervalve 34 are initially open at a time t1. The hot water valve 32 isclosed at a time t2 while the cold water valve 34 remains open. Thecontroller 138 receives water level data from the hot and cold waterfloat assemblies 52 and 54 with respect to the water levels in each ofthe hot and cold water storage tanks 42 and 44, respectively. Based onthe received water level data, the controller 138 generates controlsignals to adjust the position of sensor valves SV1-SV6 as needed. Forexample, sensor valve SV1 is adjusted to permit water flow to the coldwater filtration system 100. Because both the hot water valve 32 and thecold water valve 34 are open at a time t1, the controller 138continuously monitors both the hot and cold water float assemblies 52and 54. Based on this continuous monitoring, controller 138 generates acontrol signal so that the sensor valve SV1 prohibits water flow tosensor valve SV2 when the hot water float assembly 52 indicates that themaximum detected fill level in the hot water storage tank 42 has beenreached.

Sensor valve SV2, while initially open at time t1, is adjusted to aclosed position when the hot water float assembly 52 in the hot waterstorage tank 42 indicates that the maximum detected fill level of thehot water storage tank 42 has been reached. Initially, at a time t1, thesensor valve SV3 is adjusted to permit water flow to sensor valve SV4.After time t2, when the hot water valve 32 is closed, the controller 138adjusts the sensor valve SV3 to prohibit water flow to sensor valve SV4when the hot water tank float assembly 52 detects that the maximumdetected fill level of the hot water storage tank 42 has been reached.The sensor valve SV3 also diverts any water leaving the hot water mediafilter 106 to the water diversion pipe 82. Sensor valves SV5 and SV6 areadjusted to permit all water flowing from the water diversion pipe 82and the cold water return pipe 80 to the cold water storage tank 44. Ata time t1, sensor valve SV4 permits water flow to the hot water storagetank 42. After a time t2, and when the maximum detected fill level inthe hot water storage tank 42 has been reached, the sensor valve SV4 isclosed.

FIG. 12 illustrates an operating state 5 of the water diversion system5. In operating state 5, at a time t1, the hot water valve 32 and thecold water valve 34 are open. At a time t2, the cold water valve 34 isclosed and the hot water valve 32 remains open. The controller 138receives water level data from both the hot and cold water floatassemblies 52 and 54 with respect to the water levels of the hot andcold water storage tanks 42 and 44, respectively. Based on the receivedwater level data, controller 138 adjusts the sensor valves SV1-SV6 asneeded. For example, at a time t1, sensor valves SV1-SV6 are open, whilesensor valves SV3 and SV5 both prohibit water flow through the waterdiversion pipe 82. After a time t2, the sensor valve SV1 is adjusted toprohibit water flow to the cold water prefilter filtration system 100when the cold water float assembly 54 determines that the maximum filllevel of the cold water storage tank 44 has been reached. At a time t1and t2, sensor valve SV2 permits water flow to the hot water filtrationsystem 98. At a time t1, sensor valve SV5 permits water flow to sensorvalve SV6. After a time t2, sensor valve SV5 is adjusted to prohibitwater flow to sensor valve SV6 and divert any water flow to the waterdiversion pipe 82, when the cold water tank float assembly 54 detectsthat the maximum fill level of the cold water storage tank 44 has beenreached. At times t1 and t2, sensor valve SV3 and SV4 permit all waterflowing from the water diversion pipe 82 and a hot water return pipe 78to flow into the hot water storage tank 42.

FIG. 13 illustrates an operating state 6 of the water diversion system52. In operating state 6, at a time t1, both the hot water valve 32 andcold water valve 34 are open and at a time t2, both the hot water valve32 and cold water valve 34 are closed. At a time t2, sensor valves SV1and SV2 are adjusted to permit water flow to the hot and cold waterfiltration systems 98 and 100 until the hot and cold float assemblies 52and 54 detect that the maximum fill levels of the hot and cold waterstorage tanks 42 and 44, respectively, have been reached. The adjustmentof sensor valves SV1 and SV2 can occur at different times based upon thevolume of water delivered from each of the hot and cold water storagetanks 42 and 44. Similarly, after a time t2, sensor valve SV3 permitswater flow to sensor valve SV4 until the hot water tank float assembly52 detects that the maximum fill level of the hot water storage tank 42has been reached. At this instance, the sensor valve SV3 is adjusted toprohibit water flow to sensor valve SV4 and permit water flow throughthe water diversion pipe 82. If the maximum fill level in the hot waterstorage tank 42 is reached before the maximum fill level of the coldwater storage tank 44, sensor valves SV5 and SV6 can be adjusted topermit all water flow from the water diversion pipe 82 and the coldwater return pipe 80 to flow to the cold water storage tank 44. When themaximum fill level of the hot water storage tank 42 is reached, sensorvalve SV4 is adjusted to the closed position.

After a time t2, sensor valve SV5 is allowed to permit water flow tosensor valve SV6 until the cold water float assembly 54 detects that themaximum fill level of the cold water storage tank 44 has been reached.Once the maximum fill level of the cold water storage tank 44 has beenreached, sensor valve SV5 is adjusted to prohibit water flow to sensorvalve SV6 and permit water flow through the water diversion pipe 82. Ifthe maximum detected fill level of the cold water storage tank 44 isreached before the maximum fill level of the hot water storage tank 42,sensor valves SV3 and SV4 can be permitted to allow all water flow fromthe water diversion pipe 82 and hot water return pipe 78 to flow intothe hot water storage tank 42. Once the maximum fill level of the coldwater storage tank 44 is reached, sensor valve SV6 is closed.

FIG. 14 illustrates an exemplary protective cover for the handsink 2.The protective cover 148 can be used to protect the handsink 2 whilebeing stored or transported. A protective cover 148 can be made from ABSor other suitable material having a highly durability. The protectivecover 148 can be formed in a shape of a clamshell, for example, so thatthe protective cover 148 completely encloses the handsink 2. Theprotective cover 148 includes hinges 150 that fixedly attach to portionsof the protective cover 148 so that it may open to a width that issufficient to capture the handsink 2. The protective cover 148 alsoincludes a carry handle 152 for portability.

While the invention has been described with reference to specificembodiments, this description is merely representative of the inventionand not to be construed as limiting the invention. Various modificationsand applications may occur to those skilled in the art without departingfrom the true spirit and scope of. the invention as defined by theappended claims.

1. A portable handsink, comprising: means for separately storing heatedwater and non-heated water; means for dispensing water from the heatedand non-heated water storing means; means for circulating water betweenthe storing means and dispensing means; means for sensing a level ofstored water; means for controlling a direction of water circulationinto the heated and non-heated storing means based on the sensed waterlevel; and means for diverting water into one of the storing means basedon a position of the controlling means.
 2. The handsink of claim 1,wherein the circulating means comprises: means for routing water betweenthe storing means and the dispensing means.
 3. The handsink of claim 2,wherein the routing means comprises: means for pumping water from thestoring means to the dispensing means.
 4. The handsink of claim 2,wherein the circulating means is a closed loop.
 5. The handsink of claim2, wherein the controlling means comprises: means for restricting a flowof water through the routing means; and means for electronicallycontrolling a status of the restricting means.
 6. The handsink of claim2, comprising: means for receiving dispensed water, wherein the routingmeans routes water from the receiving means to the storage means.
 7. Thehandsink of claim 6, comprising: means for filtering water routed fromthe receiving means to the storage means.
 8. A method for controlling adirection of water flow in a portable handsink including water storagetanks, a pumping system, a plumbing system, and a sink assembly, themethod comprising: activating the pumping system to pump water out ofthe water storage tanks for dispensing water into the sink assembly;monitoring a water level in each water storage tank; controlling a flowof water from the sink assembly to each of the water storage tanks basedon a respective water level of each tank by adjusting a position of aplurality of valves in the plumbing system; and adjusting the positionof the plurality of valves to divert water flow through a diversion pipeof the plumbing system, wherein water is diverted through the diversionpipe when the water level in one of the water storage tanks is at amaximum fill level.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein activating thepumping system comprises: opening at least one of a hot water valve anda cold water valve.
 10. A portable handsink, comprising: water storagetanks; a sink assembly; a pumping system that pumps water from the waterstorage tanks for dispensing into the sink assembly; a control systemfor controlling a flow of water from the sink assembly to each of thewater storage tanks based on a respective water level of each tank byadjusting a position of a plurality of valves in the plumbing system; afiltration system that filters water flowing from the sink assembly tothe water storage tanks; and a diversion pipe that diverts water intoone of the water storage tanks based on a position of at least one ofthe plurality of valves.
 11. The portable handsink of claim 10,comprising: a plumbing system that interconnects the water storagetanks, the pumping system, the sink assembly, and the filtration systemin a closed loop.
 12. The portable handsink of claim 11, wherein theplumbing system includes a plurality of interconnected pipes and aplurality of valves strategically mounted in the plurality of pipes. 13.The portable handsink of claim 12, wherein each water storage tankincludes a water level sensor.
 14. The portable handsink of claim 13,further comprising: a processor that receives water level data from thewater level sensor and controls a direction of water flow from the sinkassembly to the water storage tanks based on the water level data. 15.The portable handsink of claim 10, wherein the water storage tanksinclude a hot water tank and a cold water tank.
 16. The portablehandsink of claim 15, wherein the hot water tank includes a heatingelement.